Homeschooling Hangover

Since we did arrive in the middle of the school year and I have homeschooled before I thought I would just home school again, no problem. I packed what seemed like tons of books (and paid dearly at the check in counter in the airport) bought some great school supplies at the book store at the fabulous Gurney Plaza and set up a very upbeat school room complete with giant sized world maps.  That was the fun part.

What I forgot about homeschooling is the reason I had stopped homeschooling- It’s hard! And my kids are mean! And after a while we start hating each other! And every day someone or everyone runs into their bedroom and cries.

Rio and I are old pros at it even though we do butt heads and have to go to neutral corners every once in awhile, but River? My sweet smiling, bring me breakfast in bed boy turns into Demon Spawn when it’s time to do school. We vow to start ‘anew’ every day vowing that today is going to be good and that we are going to do better today than yesterday. But usually 15 minutes into our first lesson I’m clinching my fists and River has slinked down into his chair and I can barely see him over the table.  So we take lots of breaks and end up hugging it out a lot, but not getting much reading writing or arithmetic accomplished here….I feel drained.